Great Native Ground Covers, Part II

In Part I of this series, I highlighted just some of the varied ground covers, including evergreen plants, ferns and flowering perennials that are suitable for many different types of landscapes.  I also talked about why ground covers are better than lawns.  Here, I’ll focus on many more types of ground covers that are environmentally-friendly, […]

Free Trees for Philly!

Philadelphia residents are very fortunate this spring to receive up to 2 FREE trees for their yards from TreePhilly, a partnership between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Wells Fargo and the Fairmount Park Conservancy. According to TreePhilly, “The purpose of the Yard Tree Program is to contribute to the tree canopy in the city; the layer […]

How to Prevent Tree-related Storm Damage

The major snow and ice storm that struck 22 states last week, was the 2nd worst (Super Storm Sandy in October 2012 was #1)  in the power company’s history here in southeastern Pennsylvania.  There were over 700,000 power outages, many caused by downed trees. Some might argue to just get rid of trees, but trees […]

Solar-powered Lights Add Sparkle to the Night

Now that the days are filled earlier with darkness, it’s the perfect time to brighten up your outdoor spaces.  Solar-powered lights are ideal since they add nothing to your electric bill, and they come in such a wide assortment, there’s a light for practically every situation! An arbor or trellis Streetlamp style lights for your […]

Upcoming Tours of Green Homes & Businesses

Each October, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) coordinates nationwide tours of homes, commercial and municipal buildings that feature green technologies.  The purpose is to show others how cool green buildings can be.  The 9000 sites on the tours use sustainable strategies that increase energy efficiency, use solar energy, conserve water, use reclaimed or […]

The Right Landscaping Can Lower Your Energy Bills!

While most houses are not passive solar homes (designed and oriented so as to capture the sun’s warmth in winter and keep the house cool and comfortable in summer), there are some easy things we can do with our landscaping to compensate for this that will lower our utility bills. The upcoming fall season is […]

Green Roofs: Open for Tours

Green roofs are built right into a roof system and composed of a “high quality water proofing and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter cloth, a lightweight growing medium and plants,” according to GreenRoofs.org.  These planted roofs are beneficial in many ways, from stormwater management and reduction of a building’s energy usage to cleaning […]

Surprising Advantages of Natural Swimming Pools

Tired of the same old generic look that traditional backyard swimming pools offer?  Why not consider something better… Natural swimming pools offer naturalistic beauty and provide your family with a healthier swimming environment.  Plus, they cost less to maintain! Here’s the full list of advantages:

Water Heaters Should Be The Next Green Initiative

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post by Diane Kuehl.  Diane is a home improvement professional and co-owner of DIY Mother. She lives on her farm in Springfield, Illinois with her husband and two kids. Whether we like it or not, we are all part of the green craze to a certain extent. Our […]

Is your Landscape Set in Stone?

Natural stone has a timeless appeal and works well in any size or style of landscape.  Whether you’re adding a terrace or patio, a wall or raised bed, a walkway or driveway, stone adds a sense of permanence and beauty.  Strategically placed boulders featured as a grouping on the lawn or integrated into a retaining […]

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